Burn Out, Anxiety, Depression

Iron Man

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Last week I hit a wall... Burn out... Such a horrible feeling. It was so bad that I went to see my Doc and he prescribed me with something to slow my heart rate down (stop the fight or flight response), some Valium and something to stop nausea (I was literally dry reaching).

I am upset with myself, because it is my fault. Over working myself and putting myself under too much pressure and unrealistic expectations on myself. Being self employed can be hard...

My personality has always leaned towards being uptight and on edge and this seems to show up with elevated blood pressure. The elevated blood pressure is not enough for the Doc to be too concerned about, but I need to learn or get something to chill out.

Last night I visited the Doc again and he gave me a script for Zoloft. He was pretty upfront with the possible side effects and that caused me to stop, before I started taking the pharmaceutical drug. I had a quick look at some of Dr Peat's research on this and it seems he is against it. Interestingly, the Doc last night told me about another option to Zoloft and it seemed to have next to no side effects, but it was like $60 a month and I cannot even remember what it was called.

So my question is... What do I do? I have to get myself sorted out and fix this, otherwise quality of life will be less than good. I have taken Ashwaganda for a while, but I don't know if I am taking enough? I have taken St John's Wort in the past also and have commenced taking it again this week.

Family members have always remarked at how uptight I am. They are right... I desperately want to fix this and change my life for the better.

Currently I have taken immediate steps to back off on work, ensure that I am in bed by 10pm and am also taking a 25min nap at lunch each day. I am also trying to take small steps at the moment and try to not think too much into the future...

If anyone can give me some advice on this, it would be tremendously appreciated. Thanks!
 

Velve921

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Aug 7, 2014
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1,317
Last week I hit a wall... Burn out... Such a horrible feeling. It was so bad that I went to see my Doc and he prescribed me with something to slow my heart rate down (stop the fight or flight response), some Valium and something to stop nausea (I was literally dry reaching).

I am upset with myself, because it is my fault. Over working myself and putting myself under too much pressure and unrealistic expectations on myself. Being self employed can be hard...

My personality has always leaned towards being uptight and on edge and this seems to show up with elevated blood pressure. The elevated blood pressure is not enough for the Doc to be too concerned about, but I need to learn or get something to chill out.

Last night I visited the Doc again and he gave me a script for Zoloft. He was pretty upfront with the possible side effects and that caused me to stop, before I started taking the pharmaceutical drug. I had a quick look at some of Dr Peat's research on this and it seems he is against it. Interestingly, the Doc last night told me about another option to Zoloft and it seemed to have next to no side effects, but it was like $60 a month and I cannot even remember what it was called.

So my question is... What do I do? I have to get myself sorted out and fix this, otherwise quality of life will be less than good. I have taken Ashwaganda for a while, but I don't know if I am taking enough? I have taken St John's Wort in the past also and have commenced taking it again this week.

Family members have always remarked at how uptight I am. They are right... I desperately want to fix this and change my life for the better.

Currently I have taken immediate steps to back off on work, ensure that I am in bed by 10pm and am also taking a 25min nap at lunch each day. I am also trying to take small steps at the moment and try to not think too much into the future...

If anyone can give me some advice on this, it would be tremendously appreciated. Thanks!

The fact that you are identifying that you want to make a change is going to bring you a lot of great ideas my friend.

I would start with checking your temp and pulse 3x a day. Upon waking, 30 minutes after breakfast. 30 minutes after lunch.

This will help your understand yourself metabolically.

When you do your 25 minutes nap in the middle of the day, checkout yoga nidra YouTube clips. This can be a powerful way to start lowering stress consistently.

Once you have baseline temp and pulse numbers, start examining where you can improve your nutrition to bring stress down.
 

mrchibbs

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I would recommend cyproheptadine. Even 0.5mg daily can have a profound influence.
Theanine is an alternative.
 
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Swap some drinks like coffee for say camomile tea, it is calming. Don't have electricals on in your bedroom, the bedroom is for sleeping only. You could get some lavender essential oil and put a drop or two on your pillow, it will help.
Try not to think more than beyond the current week, day to day even better (live in the moment) and take some time off.

Be careful with ashwagandha (not saying to stop using) see this recent post Ashwagandha Can Cause Anhedonia, PSSD, Blunted Emotions and Apathy.
I hope you overcome burnout, it is really horrible.
 
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Frankdee20

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Magnesium and some Vitamin C can’t hurt
 

Maljam

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Drugs, supplements, and diet will not fix over working or a stressful, or unfulfilling job. It also wont fix any deep rooted issues. Working hard and being successful is a good thing, people shouldnt be drawn to a "stress free" life, which is also impossible, but working hard should be rewarding, not causing you to burn out.

You should reassess your life, question why you have these self destructive tendencies that push you to burn out. Have you been made to feel stupid as a kid, or not good enough by a parent, or authority figure? Have you had to compete with siblings you felt you were in the shadow of? Be kind to yourself, but it is clear something in your life needs to majorly change and cant continue in the same way it has been doing.
 
Last edited:
OP
I

Iron Man

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I would recommend cyproheptadine. Even 0.5mg daily can have a profound influence.
Theanine is an alternative.
Thanks. So this is Benedryl then. Interestingly... I seem to need to regularly use a nasal spray to combat excessive mucus.
Theanine seems to be in tea, so as others have suggested, replacing coffee for tea is a good idea.
 
OP
I

Iron Man

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Magnesium and some Vitamin C can’t hurt
Thanks. I have recently been taking vitamin C and trying doses of around 3 - 4 grams a day. I have also been taking magnesium again too, but am trying to up my intake of green leafy vegetables.
 
OP
I

Iron Man

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Swap some drinks like coffee for say camomile tea, it is calming. Don't have electricals on in your bedroom, the bedroom is for sleeping only. You could get some lavender essential oil and put a drop or two on your pillow, it will help.
Try not to think more than beyond the current week, day to day even better (live in the moment) and take some time off.

Be careful with ashwagandha (not saying to stop using) see this recent post Ashwagandha Can Cause Anhedonia, PSSD, Blunted Emotions and Apathy.
I hope you overcome burnout, it is really horrible.
At the moment, I have to narrow my outlook right down to just a day or two. Depression, anxiety and irrational fear just sets in if I allow my mind to think much more than this.
 
OP
I

Iron Man

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Messages
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The fact that you are identifying that you want to make a change is going to bring you a lot of great ideas my friend.

I would start with checking your temp and pulse 3x a day. Upon waking, 30 minutes after breakfast. 30 minutes after lunch.

This will help your understand yourself metabolically.

When you do your 25 minutes nap in the middle of the day, checkout yoga nidra YouTube clips. This can be a powerful way to start lowering stress consistently.

Once you have baseline temp and pulse numbers, start examining where you can improve your nutrition to bring stress down.
Thanks for the encouragement. I am at a really low ebb right now. I could cry actually. I have to restructure how I live life, because I cannot allow myself to make these mistakes ever again.
 

Maljam

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Thanks for the encouragement. I am at a really low ebb right now. I could cry actually. I have to restructure how I live life, because I cannot allow myself to make these mistakes ever again.

Get out of the house, take a walk in the fresh air and sun. At my lowest points I didnt leave my room for weeks only to use the toilet. Getting out is half the battle.

Dont forget to have fun. Whatever you love doing, reading, listening or playing music, watching comedies, playing games, whatever it is, start doing it again right now. Dont get bogged down in trying to find an answer too much and forget to have fun.
 
OP
I

Iron Man

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Drugs, supplements, and diet will not fix over working or a stressful, or unfulfilling job. It also wont fix any deep rooted issues. Working hard and being successful is a good thing, people shouldnt be drawn to a "stress free" life, which is also impossible, but working hard should be rewarding, not causing you to burn out.

You should reassess your life, question why you have these self destructive tendencies that push you to burn out. Have you been made to feel stupid as a kid, or not good enough by a parent, or authority figure? Have you had to compete with siblings you felt you were in the shadow of? Be kind to yourself, but it is clear something in your life needs to majorly change and cant continue in the same way it has been doing.
At the moment I have just kind of come to a screeching halt. I have backed right off on work and am at the point where I am prepared to just scale back my business permanently. What this will look like yet, I am not sure and I am not in a place to worry about that right now either.
I need to talk with a Psychologist about learning strategies to better process life and cope with my anxiety. I see this as a different component to the diet though, but it will work hand in hand I think?
 
OP
I

Iron Man

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With regards to Zoloft and Propanolol (Beta blockers), what are the alternatives to these? For someone with an uptight and anxious disposition, what are the diet / supplement options?
 

Maljam

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At the moment I have just kind of come to a screeching halt. I have backed right off on work and am at the point where I am prepared to just scale back my business permanently. What this will look like yet, I am not sure and I am not in a place to worry about that right now either.
I need to talk with a Psychologist about learning strategies to better process life and cope with my anxiety. I see this as a different component to the diet though, but it will work hand in hand I think?

It depends on what is at the root of all your problems. If there is nothing going on from childhood and it is simply over working then reducing the hours will help.

I tried "coping" with anxiety for years, I'll let you into a secret, coping with anxiety doesnt work. If you had a broken foot you wouldnt learn to cope with the pain, you would get it fixed. Google the DARE protocol by Barry Mcdonagh, especially if you are having panic attacks. Don't allow yourself to simply "cope" do fun things, cook exciting meals, get out into the fresh air. Dont allow yourself to be anxious. Don't become paralysed by looking for an answer and staying inside on the computer.
 

Maljam

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With regards to Zoloft and Propanolol (Beta blockers), what are the alternatives to these? For someone with an uptight and anxious disposition, what are the diet / supplement options?

What happens if you run out of them and cant get any more?

If you feel you really need them, then go for it, but only think of them as a short term thing.

Red light, sunlight, vitamin D, exercising, having fun, socialising. Stretching is really good too. I dont use the word yoga because I dont have any set routines with it. Have a big old stretch.

Dietary wise I've had benefits from eating a lot of egg yolks, chocolate, magnesium, but they cant do it alone IMO.

I have been where you are and am telling you what I wish I could have told myself years ago.

Speaking with a psychologist could be useful.
 
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mrchibbs

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With regards to Zoloft and Propanolol (Beta blockers), what are the alternatives to these? For someone with an uptight and anxious disposition, what are the diet / supplement options?

I don't want to be a parrot, but cyproheptadine lowers pretty much every bad thing about stress/depressive state. The natural calm magnesium products are really calming and relaxing. There is one which combines theanine, magnesium, glycine, it is really soothing.
 

aguineapig

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For me, cyproheptadine, buspirone and beta blockers (propranolol and atenolol) helped my immeasurably. I would suggest avoiding SSRIs, and look at buspirone as an option if you must consider a maintenance med.

The beta blockers aren't habit forming, are generally quite safe, and help tremendously with doing exposure therapy. I would not have been able to start my ascent out of the pits without the hand up they provided. 6 months ago I couldn't leave my room, now I'm an learning to drive a car and enjoying making 2 tons of steel go 60mph.

SSRI and benzos come with major concerns about withdrawals. Buspirone, beta blockers and anti serotonergic antihistamines don't really have these problems. You want to think ahead to when you will no longer need these supports and visualize that.
 

BingDing

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Don't even think about SSRIs or benzos, as @aguineapig says, they are anathema to this forum and a sure route to misery. Cyproheptadine can be useful but has serious side effects, don't use it more than a couple/few days in a row, IMO. But do try it for short term help, it can be miraculous.

The simple version of RP is high thyroid, low estrogen, avoid the liquid oils that turn rancid. Once you get past this crisis stage that is the recipe for the long term.
 

mrchibbs

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Don't even think about SSRIs or benzos, as @aguineapig says, they are anathema to this forum and a sure route to misery. Cyproheptadine can be useful but has serious side effects, don't use it more than a couple/few days in a row, IMO. But do try it for short term help, it can be miraculous.

The simple version of RP is high thyroid, low estrogen, avoid the liquid oils that turn rancid. Once you get past this crisis stage that is the recipe for the long term.

I completely disagree, cyproheptadine does not have serious side effects, and can be used long term. I'm just stating my opinion as well.
 

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